This math activity workbook targets number identification skills, number order and sequence skills, counting and cardinality. Additionally, they will practice writing numbers up to 20 with correct number formation. The workbook is aligned with the Common Core State Standards for kindergarten level math, making it an effective tool for reinforcing number sense skills.

One of the key features of this workbook is its focus on 1:1 number correspondence to 20, which is the ability to match a number with a specific object or quantity. This skill is essential for later math concepts such as addition and subtraction.

Identifying, Counting, Tracing and Coloring Activity Book: Numbers 1-20

The activities in this workbook are designed to be adaptable to different age levels and skill levels. Whether your students are beginners or in need of extra assistance, this resource is an excellent choice. Thus, making it an ideal workbook for kindergarten and special education classrooms. Not only is it suitable for special education classrooms, but it is also an ideal tool for autism classrooms, thanks to its visual and interactive features.

However, if your students need prerequisite skills like number recognition and identification 1-20, you may want this cut and paste activity book. Click here.

The differentiated worksheets includes counting on “ten frames” to prepare them for “base ten” counting. If your students require more tangible and tactile learning tools, you may want to use these ten frame boards (affiliate link) to help them learn the concept better. The ten frame boards are an excellent tool for teaching addition and subtraction, as well, once they are ready to move on.

Your Student Will Learn To:

The activities in this cut and paste activity book are designed to be engaging and fun, while also providing a solid grounding in the basics of math. By working through the exercises and problems, your students will build their confidence and competence in math.

Additional Resources and Materials

I hope you found this article useful and beneficial. If you need additional materials to address any prerequisite skills, you may want to check out, Number Sense To 10: All About Numbers 1-10 Differentiated Worksheets or All About Number Sense 11-20:Teen Numbers Kindergarten Differentiated Worksheets. These are in my TPT store.

A great majority of my activities are also available digitally on the Easel by  TPT  platform with many self-checking activities.

Lastly, I invite you to join the vortex2learning club and gain exclusive access to the freebie library of resources— a growing collection of educational lessons, activities, printables, worksheets, workbooks and more. You will be given a password that will allow you access at any time and you will love all these resources in your classrooms.=)

The post Counting and Cardinality Activities For Kindergarten and First Grade appeared first on Best Resources for Special Education Teachers by vortex2learning.

Often, challenges in math stem from gaps in foundational concepts, particularly in counting and understanding quantity. For this reason, detecting and addressing these gaps early on is crucial to preventing future difficulties in mathematics.

Counting goes beyond mere memorization; it entails grasping cardinality—the concept that the last number counted in a group represents the total quantity. Difficulties in promptly answering “How many are in the set?” signal potential struggles with cardinality comprehension. Mastery of cardinality fosters a deeper number sense, laying a robust foundation for further mathematical exploration.

Navigating mathematical concepts can pose unique challenges, especially for students on the autism spectrum. Yet, with tailored instruction and consistent practice, mastery is attainable for them. Direct teaching supplemented by repetitive exercises is key. For both typical and Atypical students in early grades, diverse activities can strengthen their mathematical skills and broaden their comprehension.

Engaging Worksheets for Counting and Cardinality

Designed for children in Kindergarten through early 1st grade, including those with disabilities, these worksheets focus on numbers 1-20. Perfect for homework, workstations, and math centers, they offer an interactive approach to reinforce counting and cardinality skills.

To boost engagement and concentration, the worksheets incorporate coloring, cutting, and pasting activities. A good instructional practice is implementing positive behavioral supports like token boards to further incentivize focused completion of tasks.

For students who need additional support and guidance, you may want to pick up these free First-Then boards for your visual reward system.

Prerequisite Skills Needed To Complete The Worksheets Independently:

These prerequisite skills serve as a guideline for determining which students can independently complete the worksheets. However, all students can participate with assistance from peers or paraprofessionals.

Before engaging with these worksheets, students should possess the following skills:

Number Formation Worksheets 1-20

This comprehensive packet contains many engaging activities, including, reading, tracing, coloring, counting, cutting, and pasting. Additionally, it features several pages for handwriting practice, aiding students in writing numerals from 0 to 20 with correct number formation.

Targeted Skills :

Usage Tips for Printable Worksheets:

Additional Resources and Materials

If you are looking for additional math activities to reinforce one of the prerequisite skills like number identification, you may like this packet that targets numbers 1-10, or the teen numbers 11-20. Additionally, if you are looking for more advanced practice, you may like the Number Sense To 100 Bundle: Counting and Cardinality Math Worksheets.

The TPT website where you will find all my printables with many digital components is a free website for everyone. There are many free resources that you can download. Additionally, when you purchase an item, and leave feedback, you earn points that you can use to lower the cost of future purchases.

Lastly, I’d like to invite you to join the vortex2learning club and have exclusive access to the freebie library resources. You will find a growing collection of educational lessons, activities, printables, worksheets, workbooks and so much more. You will be given a password that will allow you access at any time.

The post Counting and Cardinality Activities: Numbers 1-20 appeared first on Best Resources for Special Education Teachers by vortex2learning.

Let’s explore what makes token boards such a valuable asset in creating engaged, motivated, and thriving classrooms.

Pairing Praise With Tokens: A Winning Combination

Pairing “praise” with each “token” creates a powerful synergy that can transform your classroom dynamics. When students receive tokens for exhibiting desired behaviors and, simultaneously, receive praise, the impact is profound. The combination of tangible rewards and verbal acknowledgment enhances motivation and encourages students to consistently demonstrate positive behaviors.

How To Use A Token Board

Using a token board is a straightforward yet highly effective process. Students select a reward from a choice board that they wish to work towards, and every time they display the desired behavior, they earn a token. The behaviors you choose to reinforce can include in-seat behaviors, sharing, waiting, and mastering new skills.

Token boards operate on the principles of primary (food/drink items) and secondary or conditioned reinforcers (toys, money, activities). By pairing a primary reinforcer (like a drink) with a secondary reinforcer (the token), the likelihood of the secondary reinforcer increasing the behavior is significantly heightened.

Consistency Is Key

Implementing a token system in the classroom is not a daunting task. The key lies in consistency, and a token board acts as a visual aid to help you stay consistent and accountable. Each time a student earns a token and places it on the board, it serves as a reminder for you to praise the student for the exhibited behavior. This consistent reinforcement builds a positive association, making praise itself a secondary reinforcer.

You can get creative with your token boards and you can use them in a multitude of ways. Below is an example for teaching a targeted skill. The student is rewarded for responding correctly in discrete trial sessions.

Token boards offer a strong visual tool that provides visual aids and support for students. They create a tangible representation of progress, making the reinforcement process more tangible and reinforcing for the students.

Creative Applications of Token Boards

One of the advantages of token boards is their versatility. You can get creative and use them in various ways to cater to different needs in your classroom. For example, you can employ token boards to teach targeted skills. In discrete trial sessions, students can be rewarded for responding correctly, fostering a positive learning environment.

Token boards can also be used to manage classroom rules, table work rules, or small group rules during routine activities. An example, the token board below monitors four in-seat behaviors that you may want your students to master.

Complete Token Board Starter Set

To simplify the implementation of token boards, I’ve created a comprehensive starter set. This set includes six “I Am Working For” token boards in different colors for each student, suitable for various class sizes. It features 5-token and 10-token boards for both classroom and targeted behaviors, ensuring flexibility for different reinforcement needs.

The set also comprises 32 primary and secondary reinforcements, two templates for reinforcement storage, and a variety of stars and emoji symbols to use as tokens. Additionally, ink-saver versions of token boards are included for practicality and resource efficiency.

In summary, token boards offer a dynamic and visually engaging method to reinforce positive behaviors in the classroom. By incorporating praise, maintaining consistency, and utilizing creative applications, you can create a positive and motivating learning environment for your students in a fun and effective way.

What Educators Are Saying

I put this on a clipboard for one of my students. It worked out really well and very easy to make / use.

— Nicole F.

Additional Resources and Materials

I am so happy that you visited my site and read through this article. If you need more behavior support materials, you may want to grab this First-Then board freebie. It’s a great addition to your classroom management tools.  

The TPT marketplace is a free website for everyone. There are many free resources that you can download. Additionally, when you purchase an item, and leave feedback, you earn points that you can use to lower the cost of future purchases.

Lastly, I invite you to join the vortex2learning club and gain exclusive access to the freebie library of resources— a growing collection of educational lessons, activities, printables, worksheets, workbooks and more. You will be given a password that will allow you access at any time and you will want all these resources in your classrooms.=)

The post Token Boards For Positive Behavior Supports appeared first on Best Resources for Special Education Teachers by vortex2learning.

The research shows that social emotional education raises emotional intelligence, social skills and confidence. Also, It enables success in other academic areas as it is highly aligned with Common Core State Standards in ELA. Every state with common core standards can determine what their SEL standards will look like.

New York State’s Social Emotional Learning standards now has benchmarks for grades K-12. The benchmarks consists of 5 core competencies; self-awareness, self-management skills, responsible decision making, social awareness and relationship skills. Collectively, these are essential competencies that will enable an individual to thrive in school, home, work and life in general.

Social Skills Activities For Kids: Positive Attributes In A Good Friend

Creating Explicit and structured lessons on social emotional learning particularly in the area of social skills was a big part of my teaching and planning routine. Chiefly, because students on the spectrum require plenty of social skills instruction and opportunities to practice these skills.

I created the following social skills activity to help your students identify positive qualities in a person when they are making new friends— great for children in grades K-3. Coincidentally, this is the time that children begin to establish strong peer networks and social relationships in school.

This qualities of a good friend activity aligns with NYSSEL goal 2- using social awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships: Recognize individual and group similarities and differences: Describe positive qualities in others.

This social skills activity packet contains many differentiated worksheets to inform comprehension and keep your early elementary students engaged.

What Makes A Good Friend Activities for Early Elementary Students

These short reading comprehension worksheets will help your students identify positive qualities in a person. The reading passage is differentiated for your independent or fluent readers (short answers) and your emergent readers (multiple choice).

Plus, your students will also be working on identifying the main idea and key details. (Common Core alignment to ELA Standards)

Thinking maps are a type of graphic organizers that help students frame their thinking around certain cognitive processes. Thus, we went through extensive professional development in its use. If your school uses them, you will enjoy these differentiated bubble map templates for brainstorming and describing the positive attributes of a friend. For students who are not writing yet, I have included a cut and paste worksheet.

Students can use the bubble maps to assist them in writing short sentences and paragraphs about what a good friend looks like. There are four writing worksheets to write and draw about the qualities of a good friend.

These No prep fun coloring pages are great for early finishers and extension activities (Art).

This social skills packet includes 23 pages of differentiated readers and thinking map templates. Also, included are cut and paste, writing, drawing and coloring worksheets. Lastly, character building posters to decorate your bulletin boards and reinforce positive attributes in your students.

What Educators Are Saying

These activities have been a great addition to our social groups.

Sarah B.

Additional Resources and Materials

I have just begun to create materials for social emotional learning. However, if you’re looking for a lesson on feelings and emotions for your nonverbal students or Pre-K students, you may like this one. A great majority of my activities are available digitally on the Easel by TPT platform. You can assign the work to your students on Easel and they can access it from any device. Additionally, you’ll be able to monitor their progress and give them timely feedback.

In closing, come join the vortex2learning club and gain exclusive access to the freebie library of resources— a growing collection of educational lessons, activities, printables, worksheets, workbooks and more. You will be given a password that will allow you access at any time.

The post Social-Emotional Learning Activities: Qualities Of A Good Friend appeared first on Best Resources for Special Education Teachers by vortex2learning.

Additionally, these interactive, cut-and-paste word activities will help your students with print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition skills, and fluency. The following word family activities have CVC words, blends, and digraphs for continued reading practice.

Word Family Activities To Build Foundational Skills

The matching words to pictures worksheets have clear pictures to color, large print words for reading, cutting and pasting. Additionally, these comprehension worksheets will strengthen your students’ fine motor skills.

There are two versions of the worksheets— black/white and a color version. The blk/wht version can be given to students who have all the prerequisite skills. For example, they can read, color, cut and paste independently, if not, then with the help of a paraprofessional. These are also wonderful for early finishers.

The color version is for further modification and differentiation and great for Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)—tailored to a particular student. You can print and laminate the worksheets to create an interactive activity book for durability and multiple use. I have included separate pages of the words to print, cut, laminate and velcro to the worksheet. These are beneficial for young learners and students on the spectrum.

The activity books are great for 1:1 work, independent desk work, workstations, literacy centers and even small group work. Again, an excellent resource to just pull out for those early finishers as well as those under a highly structured curriculum.

There are 24 word families (6 words per page) for a total of 144 words in this packet:

ab, ad, ag, am, an, ap, ar, at, ed, ap, et, id, ig, in, ip, it, ob, og, op, ot, ub, ug, um, un

Your students will have a highly reinforcing activity to practice their nouns, sight words, phonics, and vocabulary. Additionally, these CVC Word Family Worksheets are a great extension or supplement to your phonics lessons.

CVC Words-Short Vowel Sounds Worksheets

These reading, writing and coloring pages will help your students increase their vocabulary and fluency through learning to isolate and sound out initial, medial and final sounds (phonemes). As they engage in these activities, they will improve their word recognition, meaning, and reading fluency skills.

This activity also works well with students who struggle with phonics and phonological awareness. Particularly, students with autism who have global deficits and very splintered skills.

Students on the spectrum benefit from visual aids and learn best through sight word practice and lots of repetition. As they interact with the worksheets, they will improve their comprehension skills and fine motor skills by writing the words and coloring the picture that represents the word symbol.

What Educators Are Saying

I love using this resource for the students in my class.

Lori N.

Additional Resources and Materials

If you are looking for more worksheets, activities and printables for building vocabulary and reading comprehension, I invite you to visit my Teachers PayTeacher Store. All of my activities are also available digitally on the Easel by TPT site. You can assign the work to your students on the platform and they can access it from any device. You will also be able to monitor their progress and give them timely feedback.

In closing, I’d like to invite you to join the vortex2learning club and have exclusive access to the freebie library resources. You will find a growing collection of educational lessons, activities, printables, worksheets, workbooks and so much more. You will be given a password that will allow you access at any time.

The post Word Family Activities To Build Vocabulary and Comprehension appeared first on Best Resources for Special Education Teachers by vortex2learning.

This approach is especially useful for the beginning stages of learning about main ideas. By incorporating visual aids, students can more easily understand and identify the main idea of a story or passage. Overall, this strategy can help make learning about main ideas a more enjoyable and accessible experience for all students.

Using Pictures As A Text To Find The Main Idea

One effective way to introduce students to the concept of main ideas is by using visual aids such as pictures, illustrations, or photographs as a “text”. By removing the cognitive load of reading, we can clear the space and help students focus solely on identifying the main idea. This approach adopts a task analysis approach, breaking down the concept into smaller, more manageable units of understanding.

To get started, consider using these main idea worksheets and reading comprehension worksheets. For students who may find these worksheets too challenging, simply covering the text and focusing on the pictures can be a helpful alternative. By starting with these visual aids, students can build their understanding of main ideas and work towards more complex reading tasks.

Standards Addressed:

NYLA.KR7
Describe the relationship between illustrations and the text.

CCSS RI.K.7
With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).

CCSS RI.1.7 Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key idea

Here Are Some Teaching Tips and Key Points:

Teaching is all about finding what works best for your students. By simplifying worksheets, paying attention to your students’ thought processes, and using role modeling, you can help them succeed and achieve their goals.

Differentiated Picture Reading Comprehension Worksheets

These picture comprehension worksheets are an excellent resource for students who are just beginning to learn how to identify the main idea. By using illustrations to decode text and understand stories, your students can capture the main concept in a way that is both engaging and effective.

With these differentiated picture comprehension worksheets, students can practice describing what is happening in the picture before selecting the sentence that best matches the image. Not only does this help them develop their reading and comprehension skills, but it also improves their fine motor skills through writing, cutting, and pasting exercises.

Overall, picture comprehension worksheets offer a fun and interactive way for students to improve their understanding of key concepts while also honing important skills that will serve them well in all areas of their academic journey.

What Educators Are Saying

This is a great resource! Used with our students with disabilities with moderate to severe disabilities. Thanks!

— Jessica R.

This is a great resource for my ESY students. I have a student who struggles with the main idea and details.

— Brooke W.

Additional Resources and Materials

Both of these reading comprehension activities can be found in my Teachers Pay Teacher Store.  These main idea worksheets are part of a bundle to help your students learn the concept of the main idea. They will learn to effectively identify the main idea as they move on to read early grade fiction texts.

All of my activities are available as PDF/printable and digital on the Easel by TPT site. You can assign the work to your students on the platform and they can access it from any device. You will also be able to monitor their progress and give them timely feedback. There are also many self-checking activities so your students will have immediate feedback and can self-correct.

I’d like to invite you to join the vortex2learning club and have exclusive access to the freebie library. You will find a growing collection of educational lessons, activities, printables, worksheets, workbooks and so much more. You will be given a password that will allow you access at any time.

The post How To Find The Main Idea Using Pictures appeared first on Best Resources for Special Education Teachers by vortex2learning.